KAL's enduring position as a world-leading ATM software provider has been confirmed through numerous industry reports and studies over the years. Most recently, we achieved multiple world #1 rankings in the ATM Software 2023 report from RBR Data Services (a division of Datos Insights). This research is published once every two years and incorporates the latest market data from over 60 countries.
Today, diverse ATM fleets featuring machines from several hardware suppliers are more common than they used to be. Multivendor ATM software has also grown in popularity as a highly efficient and standardized way to power ATM networks of all hardware variations and deliver new functionality. As of 2023, 41% of the world's ATMs use multivendor applications and almost half are managed using a multivendor monitoring solution (source: ATM Software 2023).
In 2004, Shinsei Bank in Tokyo went live with the world's first multivendor cash recycling ATM application. Recycling ATMs require fewer visits for cash replenishment because the cash deposited into the ATM can be used straight away for the next customer's withdrawal. Fewer replenishment visits mean lower service costs. Shinsei Bank has reduced costs even further by using the Kalignite KTC system to manage its network of recycling ATMs. Remote management by KTC minimises and often eliminates the need for ATM site visits by a technician.
The K3A application at Shinsei Bank is a single software application that operates without modification on five recycling ATM models manufactured by OKI, Fujitsu, and Hitachi. This enables Shinsei Bank to choose the best ATM at the best price for each location, meaning even greater savings for the bank. Not only that, but it was Japan's first ever ATM application with support for the international XFS ATM software standard, making multivendor ATM software possible for the first time.
In fact, the Kalignite Software Platform first supported cash recycling back in 2002 when KAL and Omron worked together on the Omron BH recycler and made it one of the first XFS-compliant recyclers available on the market.
The world's largest known multivendor ATM network is operated by China Construction Bank (CCB) and powered by Kalignite software.
CCB is one of China's "big four" banks and became the first in the country to complete a successful multivendor software rollout back in 2003. Within the colossal CCB network, 60,000 ATMs throughout Asia are installed with Kalignite software. Here, KAL's single standardized solution is running on 100+ ATM models from 19 different hardware manufacturers - increasing productivity and efficiency while reducing costs.
OTP Bank is the largest bank in Hungary and operates nearly half of all ATMs in the country through its network of 2,000 machines. Customers using these ATMs can access content in Hungarian, English or German thanks to Kalignite software's multilingual capabilities. Hungarian (also known as Magyar) is a particularly complex European language that is considered one of the most difficult to learn. While it is the go-to choice for many ATM customers in Hungary, others may prefer to use English or German.
With Kalignite, the word "multi" really means "many" – not just two or three! Our software supports multiple languages on individual ATMs for banks around the world - covering Chinese, Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, Spanish, Norwegian, Polish, Thai, and many others.
Finger Vein Recognition (FVR) is an exciting technology that enhances the security of ATM transactions and provides benefits for both the bank and the end user. FVR is highly reliable and accurate, offering demonstrably higher performance when compared with other biometric technologies. The impact of FVR on the ATM solutions market is clearly demonstrated by Japanese banks rolling out the technology across the country.
KAL has incorporated support for the FVR devices from Hitachi-Omron (HOTS) into our Kalignite software suite and now supports it in all our multivendor ATM/kiosk solutions. Japanese banks incentivise its use through higher withdrawal limits for FVR-secured transactions – a great way to encourage the use of this new technology without forcing customers to do so.
Indeed, there is more good news for banks – this new technology can be retrofitted to existing ATMs and consequently the bank does not need to wait for the ATM replacement cycle to purchase FVR-enabled ATMs.
KAL is delighted to be at the forefront of incorporating and supporting this emerging technology to the global marketplace for ATM and kiosk projects. Greater security is now, literally, at your fingertips.
Kuveyt Türk Bank of Turkey has launched the unique Extreme Teller Machine (XTM) based on KAL ATM Software. The XTM combines multi-touch ATM functionality with video conference-based support for branch transactions, providing service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Selim Bayhan, vice president of application development, said: “The innovative XTM was ready for market deployment very quickly because it was built on KAL’s multivendor Kalignite Platform.”
The Kalignite Platform enabled component integration, system testing and deployment to be completed within just a few months of being conceived by the bank. The XTM comprises 19 device components, many of which are not usually used at ATMs or in other types of self-service systems, such as a signature pad, document box with shutter, A4 printer, camera, and telephone.
Already integrated with the GRG ATM hardware and all other XTM components, the Kalignite Platform allowed Kuveyt Türk Bank to build the XTM application with minimal support from KAL. Using the Kalignite Platform, Kuveyt Türk Bank created the XTM’s business logic, user interface and terminal-to-host communications by itself, selecting virtually any components it wanted to integrate with the XTM. The result is an innovative self-service system that minimises branch start-up costs, reaches more customers, provides 24/7 banking services and provides a unique user experience. These units are now in live use in Istanbul and have been a great success with customers.